.

What does 9/11 mean?

Every reader will have felt a rush of emotion at this questions that any American can share, yet it is uniquely their own, personal experience.  And, as such, each of us will have a unique vision of a post-9/11 future.

In December 2001, Congressional hearings with RAND Corporation analysts were full of questions such as, “Are we through this yet?”  Our institutions, our general psyche, were completely unprepared to deal with an intractable, drawn-out war without clear enemies or markers of victory and loss.  Americans were told they did not need to grapple with such heavy issues – there was no need for victory gardens, just go shopping!  Government would deal with the messy, grim reality of war, taking upon itself the responsibility to protect Americans 100 percent of the time.

As a result, most Americans failed to build up any kind of resistance to the threat of terror.  Politicians found that fear motivated, and as the generation that feared nothing but fear itself passed on, we found ourselves with a society with split-personality disorder.

One half of our society understands freedom as the freedom to disconnect from the larger community context, to do whatever we want without thinking of the larger consequences; yet this half fears boarding a plane or subway train, a fear that stems from a complete lack of control over the security of the situation.  No need to bother yourself to look up from your iPad; the government will protect you.  Carry on with your work, your entertainment, your lives – you cannot give up the American way.

The other half of our society – government leaders, intelligence analysts, soldiers and their families – is caught up in never-ending war, with government more and more smoothly transitioning to a militaristic footing focused on killing those we deem terrorists one by one.  The CIA has transformed from a unit focused on ideas and learning thoughts, to a kinetic mission of paramilitary operations, shielded from civilian counterbalance by a veil of secrecy.  The most successful operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan have been carried out by elite Special Forces under the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), such as the Navy SEALs, that cannot publish their members’ names.  America has built two secret armies in the name of sacrifice to defend freedom and our American values.

What does this divide mean?

One-half of our society is unprepared for a world over which nation-state governments no longer monopolize control.  The end of the Cold War has seen the democratization of violence, in which any individual can perpetrate violence upon a community or country.  A single hacker can terrorize email users from his home; a single gunman can wipe out a generation of future political leaders.  A democratic government cannot stop every individual with malicious intent, but one half of our society expects this to be the case 100 percent of the time.

The other half lives in a world of inner circles and secrets.  The constant war footing puts an incredible strain on the people making crucial decisions every day.  The constant pressure to perfectly pre-empt violence, often with other kinds of aggression and violence, causes leaders to overlook trends in democratizations that we could support to fruition, such as the Arab Spring.  We fear terrorism so much, we miss the forest for the trees.

We must ask ourselves: what does the constant militarization do to our values?  What does the constant environment of fear do to our psyche, our productivity, our creative spirit, our communities?  As I write this, news has broken of a credible threat to Washington, D.C., and New York City on the 10th Anniversary of the 2001 attacks.  How many will stay in, too afraid of an attack to join in the memorials designed to help the living heal in new bonds of companionship and solidarity?

But then, how many more will continue out, living their lives and building connections with their communities?  One of the most effective ways of preventing extremism is through personal connections and sharing viewpoints in a civil discussion.  This is happening every day, at every level of society. From high school students traveling abroad to neighborhood service projects that clean up an elderly woman’s yard, people are finding ways to reach out and build healing connections.  As connections are built, ideas will spread, and we can come to a new, mutual understanding.  We must look to the future, sure to foster these connections and build this connected world.

The views presented in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of any other organization.

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The Meaning of 9/11

September 9, 2011

What does 9/11 mean?

Every reader will have felt a rush of emotion at this questions that any American can share, yet it is uniquely their own, personal experience.  And, as such, each of us will have a unique vision of a post-9/11 future.

In December 2001, Congressional hearings with RAND Corporation analysts were full of questions such as, “Are we through this yet?”  Our institutions, our general psyche, were completely unprepared to deal with an intractable, drawn-out war without clear enemies or markers of victory and loss.  Americans were told they did not need to grapple with such heavy issues – there was no need for victory gardens, just go shopping!  Government would deal with the messy, grim reality of war, taking upon itself the responsibility to protect Americans 100 percent of the time.

As a result, most Americans failed to build up any kind of resistance to the threat of terror.  Politicians found that fear motivated, and as the generation that feared nothing but fear itself passed on, we found ourselves with a society with split-personality disorder.

One half of our society understands freedom as the freedom to disconnect from the larger community context, to do whatever we want without thinking of the larger consequences; yet this half fears boarding a plane or subway train, a fear that stems from a complete lack of control over the security of the situation.  No need to bother yourself to look up from your iPad; the government will protect you.  Carry on with your work, your entertainment, your lives – you cannot give up the American way.

The other half of our society – government leaders, intelligence analysts, soldiers and their families – is caught up in never-ending war, with government more and more smoothly transitioning to a militaristic footing focused on killing those we deem terrorists one by one.  The CIA has transformed from a unit focused on ideas and learning thoughts, to a kinetic mission of paramilitary operations, shielded from civilian counterbalance by a veil of secrecy.  The most successful operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan have been carried out by elite Special Forces under the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), such as the Navy SEALs, that cannot publish their members’ names.  America has built two secret armies in the name of sacrifice to defend freedom and our American values.

What does this divide mean?

One-half of our society is unprepared for a world over which nation-state governments no longer monopolize control.  The end of the Cold War has seen the democratization of violence, in which any individual can perpetrate violence upon a community or country.  A single hacker can terrorize email users from his home; a single gunman can wipe out a generation of future political leaders.  A democratic government cannot stop every individual with malicious intent, but one half of our society expects this to be the case 100 percent of the time.

The other half lives in a world of inner circles and secrets.  The constant war footing puts an incredible strain on the people making crucial decisions every day.  The constant pressure to perfectly pre-empt violence, often with other kinds of aggression and violence, causes leaders to overlook trends in democratizations that we could support to fruition, such as the Arab Spring.  We fear terrorism so much, we miss the forest for the trees.

We must ask ourselves: what does the constant militarization do to our values?  What does the constant environment of fear do to our psyche, our productivity, our creative spirit, our communities?  As I write this, news has broken of a credible threat to Washington, D.C., and New York City on the 10th Anniversary of the 2001 attacks.  How many will stay in, too afraid of an attack to join in the memorials designed to help the living heal in new bonds of companionship and solidarity?

But then, how many more will continue out, living their lives and building connections with their communities?  One of the most effective ways of preventing extremism is through personal connections and sharing viewpoints in a civil discussion.  This is happening every day, at every level of society. From high school students traveling abroad to neighborhood service projects that clean up an elderly woman’s yard, people are finding ways to reach out and build healing connections.  As connections are built, ideas will spread, and we can come to a new, mutual understanding.  We must look to the future, sure to foster these connections and build this connected world.

The views presented in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of any other organization.